Air diffuser



Oct; 20, 1959 H. H. YOUSOUFIAN 2,909,112

AIR DIFFUSER Filed Aug. 7, 1956 INVENTOR. Hrcmt H. Yousoufian BY 2 K 4 TTORNEY United States Patent P CC AIR DIFFUSER Hrant H. Yousoufian, Flushing, N .Y. Application August 7, 1956, Serial No. 602,535

2 Claims. (Cl. 98'40) This invention relates to air diifusers and more particularly to air diflusers from which the flow of air be adjusted in a number of desired directions.

It is an object of this invention to provide an air diffuser, of simple construction, operable in conjunction with conventional ductwork, and capable of effecting a multi-directional flow of air, as desired by the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multidirectional air diffuser wherein the direction of the flow of air passing therethrough can be adjusted without changing the free area of the openings in the diffuser.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a multi-directional air diffuser wherein the quantity of air flowing in any desired direction can be varied without changing the free area of the openings in the diffuser.

Other and more specific objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description as read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing an air diffusion unit employed in one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of one form of the invention wherein units such as that shown in Fig. 1 are used;

7 2,909,112 Patented Oct. 20, 1959 2 I sary since the flanges 11 provide any further support which may be needed. 7

As seen in -Fig. 2, the frames 10 may be disposed so as to impart to air flowing through the duct one or more directions in a plane substantially parallel to' that of the figure. Thus, the air may be caused to flow in the directions indicated by the arrows in 'Fig. 2. .However, the particular direction of flow shown in Fig. 2 and resulting air distribution 'may be varied as desired simply by removing any one or more of the frames 10 and reassembling it in-a new position relative to the other frames 10 in the pattern. In this manner, the air flow and distribution accomplished in this embodiment of the invention may be adjusted to satisfy the requirements existing at the installation site and may also be readjusted conveniently after installation merely byfurther repositioning o f'the frames 10 so as to satisfy changed conditions such as those arising from partition changes, or thermal load changes, which dictate a reapportionment of air.

It is to be noted that such changes in the positions of the frames 10 do not require an increase or diminution of the free area presented by the apertures 12b, 13b tothe air flowing through the duct and therefore the rate of flow of the air in the duct is not affected thereby since the resistance to flow remains constant, i.e., the ratio of Fig. v3 is a cross-sectional view taken about the line I 3--3 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows located near the ends of the said line 3-3;

Fig. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a form of air diffusion unit employed in another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 illustrates a bottom view of a form of the invention whereinunits such as that shown in Fig. 4 are used;

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the air diffusion unit shown in Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. l of the accompanying drawing, one form of air diffusion unit employed in one embodiment of the invention comprises a square frame 10 having a vertical flange 11 at its end portions and a first louver 12 located in a significantly spaced angular position with respect to a second louver 13, said louvers 12, 13 being integral with said frame 10. The frame 10 is preferably composed of a material such as sheet metal or plastic but may be constructed of any sufliciently firm material. Each louver comprises a plurality of vanes 12a, 13a, each of which in turn is located in the vicinity of an aperture 12b, 13b.

The units shown in Fig. 1 may be assembled in any desired pattern, one of such patterns being illustrated in Fig. 2 wherein a four unit air diffuser is shown. In Fig. 2, the four frames 10 have been suitably mounted at the end of a duct, the side walls 14 of which are seen in Fig. 3, said frames 10 being secured to said duct by a cover piece 15 suitably aflixed, as by bolts 16 to the said frames 10 and any supporting member, such as a ceiling 17. No further bolting of the frames 10 is necesthe air outlet area, presented by the louvers, to the crosssectional area of the duct remains fixed even though the air flow and distribution pattern is altered.

The vanes 12a, 13a may be inclined as illustrated in r Fig. 3 so as to impart to the air flowing through the apertures 12b, 13b a direction substantially parallel to the lower face of the frames 10, as indicated by the arrows in this figure; or the said vanes 12a, 1312 may be adjusted at a suitable angle to obtain a deflection of the air stream at any desired angular relation with respect to the plane of the frames 10. Such adjustment may be accomplished, as in the case ofa sheet metal frame, merely by a suitable bending of the vanes 12a, 13a; or, in the case of a substantially unbendable material, by adjusting suitably hinged vanes. By taking advantage of this flexibility of arrangementit is possible to obtain a great variety of patterns of air flow and distribution in planes both parallel to and inclined with the plane of the frames. It is also to be emphasized that the four unit diffuser illustrated in Fig. 2 is only one example of the present invention, and that .a greater or lesser number of frames maybe employed in other patterns to accomplish desired flow and distribution results.

As shown in Fig. 4, another embodiment of the invention comprises a substantially cylindrical member 18 on the face 19 of which there is located a first louver 20 located in a significantly spaced angular position with respect to a second louver 21, said louvers, 20, 21 being integral with the said cylindrical member 18 and comprising a plurality of vanes 20a, 21a each of which in turn is located in the vicinity of an aperture 20b, 21b. These louvers 20, 21 are substantially similar to those employed in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, the cylindrical members 18 may be rotatably secured by friction in a base 22 which in turn may be suitably mounted at the end of a duct as,

for example, in the same manner employed for the form same manner as that employed in the case of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2. In this way, an even greater variety of air flow and distribution patterns may be accomplished than in the case of the four unit pattern indicated in Fig. 2.

Here again, it is to be noted that a greater or lesser number of cylindrical members 18 may be employed in patterns other than that illustrated in Fig.5 to accomplish desired flow and distribution requirements.

The modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 may be employed in patterns similar to that shown in Fig. 2 or may be combined in other patterns capable of receiving the frames 10 illustrated in Fig. 1; the form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 may also be used in conjunction with such frames 10.

It may be employed where it is found desirable to provide a variable free area for the flow of air. In such a situation, the frame and louvers illustrated in Fig. 1 may be modifiedby providing a plurality of apertures 23 and vanes 24 in a relatively high flange 25. These apertures 23 may be availed of simply'by removing cover piece and raising or lowering the frame 26 with respect to the remaining frames 10 which may be disposed in the relatively raised position shown in Fig. 6 so as to expose the desired number of apertures 23, the frame 26 being contactable withthe adjoining frames and ductwork and frictionally secured thereby in the said raised or lowered position. I

While reference has been made in the above discussion to affecting the flow of air by means of the present invention, it is to be understood, of course, that the present invention is adapted to handle any gaseous medium.

It is also to be noted that while the louvers in Figs. 1 through 4 have been shown in an angular position of ninety degrees with respect to each other, other angular displacements may be provided to effect desired variations in air flow and distribution.

The embodiments of the invention illustrated and described hereinabove have been selected for the purpose of clearly setting forth the principles involved. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention is susceptible to being modified in respect to details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which may be resorted to withoutdeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the 'United States: i

1. An improved air diffuser comprising, in combination, a plurality of square frames arranged in a rectangular conformation and disposed to cover the mouth of an air duct, the mouth of the said air duct being provided with removable support means engaging the .periphery of said frames arranged in said rectangular conformation, the said frames being provided with upright rectangular flanges disposed interiorly of said air duct, said flanges of each frame being contactable with the flanges of at least two of the adjacent said frames, each frame having a lower face portion provided with two series of parallel louvers, said louvers progressively decreasing in length whereby each series of parallel louvers defines a triangular conformation, each of said square frames being characterized by the louvers in one of said series being angularly displaced with respect to the louvers in the other of said series, said frames being disposed in preselected positions wherein at least one of said series of louvers in one of said frames is angular'ly displaced with respect to an adjacent series of louvers in another of said frames, the two last mentioned series of louvers defining a plurality of air streams discharged in intersecting directions, each of said louvers being inclined to direct the air stream emerging therefrom in a layer substantially panallel to the faces of said frames, whereby the total flow of air from said diffuser remains substantially parallel to the faces of said frames.

2. An improved air diffuser comprising, in combination, four square frames arranged in a square conformation and disposed to cover the mouth of an air duct, the mouth of said air duct being provided with removable support means engaging the periphery of said frames arranged in said square conformation, said frames being provided with upright rectangular flanges disposed interiorly of said air duct, said flanges of each frame being contactable with the flanges of at least two of the adjacent said frames, each frame having a lower face portion provided with two series of parallel louvers, said louvers progressively decreasing in length whereby each series of parallel louvers defines a triangular conformation, each of said square frames being characterized by the louvers in one of said series being displaced degrees with respect to the louvers in the other of said series, said frames being disposed in pro-selected positions wherein at least one of said series of louvers in one of said frames is disposed perpendicularly with respect to an adjacent series of louvers in another of said frames, the two lastmentioned perpendicularly disposed series of louvers defining a plurality of air streams discharged in intersecting directions, each of said louvers being inclined to direct the air stream emerging therefrom in a layer substantially parallel to the faces of said frames, whereby the total flow of air from said diffuser remains substantially parallel to said faces of said frames.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,017,728 Oskamp Oct. 15, 1935 2,116,873 Williams May 10, 1938 2,220,594 Young et al. Nov. 5, 1940 2,222,081 Leigh Nov. 19, 1940 2,341,439 Greenlaw Feb. 8, 1944 2,381,345 Greenlaw Aug. 7, 1945 2,472,748 Labus June 7, 1949 2,636,668 Meyer et al Apr. 28, 1953 2,748,659 De R00 Mar. 12, 1957 

